I remember the day well.
We, along with the employees of our catering service, were at a lake
here in Indiana. We were feeding
approximately 1200 people who were the employees and their families of an area
business.
It takes experience to know how much food to prepare when that
many hungry people start through the line.
At this particular event, they often begin lining up an hour before
serving time because they are so anxious to be fed. Once the designated time rolls around, the
stream of customers doesn’t end for a very long time and it is our job to make
sure that the last person in line gets just as much to eat as the first.
We have the privilege of serving this group every year for their
company picnic, and those in charge have requested a variety of items for their
menu. For that year, they had asked for Au
Gratin potatoes to be included. Since we
serve outside, a hot dish such as this is somewhat of a challenge, making sure
that everything is kept piping hot for the entire time we serve.
It really was a sight to behold as 14 roasters were lined up on
tables beside our unit. As each roaster
was emptied, it was taken off the serving line and a fresh one was put in its
place.
The problem arose when we realized that people were taking much
larger servings than we expected. We
have been in this business for many years and my husband has a knack for
knowing, on an average, how much people will eat. But this group must have been hungrier than
the average group and the potatoes were quickly disappearing. As each roaster emptied, our stomachs churned
just a little more as we began to fear that we would run out. The last thing we want to happen at any event
is to have to tell people that something on the line-up of food is not
available.
All of a sudden, the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand
people with five loaves of bread and two fish came to mind. At that moment, I knew how the disciples must
have felt as they faced hungry people and not enough food to satisfy their
appetite. Just as there wasn’t a store
right there for the disciples to purchase additional supplies, we also had no
place at this lake to buy anything and we didn’t have enough time to cook it if
there had been.
So all I knew to do was to begin praying. I stopped right where I was and prayed
something like this, “Lord you know the predicament that we are in. There is no way that we have enough potatoes
to feed the number of people that have yet to go through the line. If you could multiply the five loaves and two
fish, you surely can multiply these potatoes.
I’m not asking for an over abundance…we just need enough to get everyone
fed.”
We then waited. People
continued to file past and potatoes continued to disappear. But when the last person was through and
everyone was satisfied, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Thirteen and 9/10 of the 14 roasters were
empty…and there were just a handful of potatoes left. We didn’t have 12 baskets leftover as they
did in Biblical days, but we had just enough.
We had what I had asked for.
I don’t know if the Lord actually multiplied the potatoes or if
He diminished the appetite of the people who were left to go through the line,
but I believe He heard my prayer that day and blessed us with His
intervention. Was this a dire situation
that was a matter of life or death?
No. I think it was a moment where
the Lord just wanted to show us, once again, that He cares about every area of
our life and is still in the miracle business of answering prayers.
Are you facing something today that is completely out of your
control? Have you prayed about it or do
you think you shouldn’t bother the Lord with it because it isn’t a matter of
life and death? Go ahead. Tell Him every detail. He cares about every aspect of your life and
wants to do mighty things even in the mundane events of your day.
Did you know that every miracle in the Bible started with a
problem? The same is true today and your problems just
may be the avenue through which the Lord wants to use to show you His mighty
hand. Remember, He is able to do much
more than you can even imagine and He might just be waiting for you to
ask. What are you waiting for?
“Keep on asking,
and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep
on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
Matthew 7:7
“Now all glory to
God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish
infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Ephesians 3:20
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